Black Princess party

[Sweetmelody72]

So my daughter turned 6 on Boxing Day. It’s always a struggle to sort out a celebration for her in and amongst all the Christmas madness, and this year was of course even harder.

I planned to do a tea party with a couple of school friends in her bubble and wanted to organise a virtual visit from a black princess/Princess Tiana. Scoured the internet and called a couple of ‘princess appearance’ companies, but not even one offered this in South Hertfordshire/North London where we are based.

I carried on digging and eventually came across Black Princess Parties DMV - based in Washington DC!! The plan was for her to appear via Zoom as Elsa (she looks amazing as Elsa), do a craft activity with the girls and sing Happy Birthday and a song from the movie. All very exciting. Then tier 4 happened and I had to postpone but she was still able to do a personalised message for my daughter for her big day - she has a musical theatre background and has an amazing voice.

Anyway, since I struggled to find this and thought other Black Mumsnetters might be interested in something like this, thought I’d come on and mention her. Don’t think I’m allowed to share a link?

[DivineRoyalty]

Can a branch say to the root, look at all the beautiful fruits I produce?😂😂No

[DivineRoyalty]

Slavery and colonization. France, Portugal, England, America, Brazil(only in big cities where the whites live), Germany and the list goes on, they live off africa's natural resources and our ancestors labour and enjoy their status as first world nations whilst the black descendants of our hard working ancestors who built their nation live in slums without reparation and are given status of stupid who can't build anything. These nations were built by plunder and African blood. Their descendants today are still enjoying the fruits of my ancestors labour, the inheritance that passes down from generation to generation. Yet they complain about Africans coming into their country using their benefits. The audacity. Yes! We have contributed much more for the very little that we get.

I could go on and on about how Africa have contributed the most but I would be neglecting my life if I did.

[DivineRoyalty]

@PlanDeRaccordement

It is my belief that Africa and the African people have contributed the most. Reason being is because without the base everything on top falls apart and becomes non-existence. From my study of different cultures I can see that most of our planet's different tribes and cultures have African influences in them. You yourself mentioned one. It is my belief that there is nothing that other races have done that our African ancestors havent done except for those things that are associated with polluting the earth and polluting people's minds and bodies. How could a carpenter boast against his teacher about how skillfull he is? Or how could a child boast against his mother of how beautiful he is? Did his teacher not give him the skills and knowledge to begin with . Was it not his mother who fed him and formed him for 9 months. If you do not believe so that is fine, I dont expect you to.

[Tehmina23]

My friend's daughter likes being Elsa... in fact I've noticed most little girls seem to idolise Elsa & Ana thanks to the popularity of Frozen 2.
I think Frozen sends a good message to all girls in that they can be princesses without needing a Prince to rescue them, plus it emphasises the importance of sisterhood.

[gottakeeponmovin]

I'm a bit confiused by a black princess party. Whilst I understand the role model point - Elsa is a Scandinavian blonde who lives in a snowy cold country - that doesn't really fit with African heritage. And with regards to the children I would either have a Tatiana party or a princess party. I don't think you should tell children they have to be a particular princess. My daughter always dressed as Mulan - that was her favourite. I think this is an instance of putting our own adult minds into those of a seven year old child. They probably don't even think about the skin colour they just like the dresses and want to be pretty princesses.

[CandyLeBonBon]

Well that's us told!

[PlanDeRaccordement]

Well, yes Africa has been ignored the most by historians and archaeologists. Although that is thankfully changing. But can’t agree any one continent did “the most”. The way humans got to how we are today involved a lot of learning on the hoof as we spread across the globe. Bright minds in different continents came up with same ideas and same inventions, or different but equally elegant solutions to same problem. Even the act of writing....every civilisation came up with a system but all so very different because writing wasn’t invented in one place and then stolen away to everywhere else. It’s like that for most inventions. Even the way stone tools were knapped differed between continents during the Stone Age.

[bluebluezoo]

The message that I’m doing history wrong?

Yes got it loud and clear thanks

[DivineRoyalty]

Anyway I hope you get the message @bluebluezoo.

I'm going to opt out of this thread because it is starting to look like a "shit" show😂

Thank you for sharing your knowledge @PlanDeRaccordement. I will look at some of the links you have sent.

[DivineRoyalty]

@bluebluezoo
There were a lot of mistake in my first posse let me post again. My mind is running faster than my fingers

First of all, if you are black your focus is misdirected.
Secondly, nowhere have I said other people's culture is "shit", but for some reason some people view African history as a threat. In their minds African greatness=white inferiority. They automatically feel like "shit" when you dare to reclaim your greatness. This is called white fragility. That's why I always say that how you feel about my message has nothing to do with my message at all. You are responsible for your own emotion. It is not my concern if it makes you feel like "shit" by me talking about African greatness.
Thirdly, if it's the European destruction and distortion of aftican history that you are talking about being "shit" then that is just historical facts. If you view that as "shit" that is your own words, not mine.
Fourth, please do not enter my mind and tell me how to think and what to speak on. Only I own this body. Do not tangle my message up with our emotions.
Lastly, I can tell that you have some issue of your own and that does not concern me.
Stockholm syndrome much?

[DivineRoyalty]

It escalates when people go off track and start getting into their feelings. That's what I meant that African people cannot do anything without being restricted and put down just because you feel negative. I dont feel like shit when Europeans and Asians declare their greatness. In fact I love learning about other cultures I am a humanitarian at heart. But for some reasons people want to put us back in our place when we dare to rise . No difference to black lives matter vs all lives matter. Black people do this too. You see them in the crowd with their "alllivesmatter" banner
My your business. What about your life😂. You are focusing on other races and other cultures who dont put you first and do not consider you. Mind your business black black people #stayhome😂😂

[CandyLeBonBon]

Well that escalated quickly! Perhaps it could be a new business opportunity for you @Sweetmelody72 ?

[DivineRoyalty]

Emotion

[DivineRoyalty]

First of all, if you are black your focus is misdirected.
Secondly, nowhere have I said other people's culture is "shit", but for some reason some people view African history as a threat. In their minds African greatness=white inferiority. They automatically feel like "shit" when you dare to reclaim your greatness. This is called white fragility. That's why I always say that how you feel about my message has nothing to do with my message at all. You are responsible for your own emotion. It is not my concern if it makes you feel like "shit" by me talking about African greatness.
Thirdly, if it's the European destruction and distortion of aftican history that are talking about being "shit". Then that is historical facts. If you view that as "shit" that is your own words, not mine.
Fourth, please do not enter my mind and tell me how to think and what to speak on. I only I own this body. Do not tangle my message up with our emogion
Lastly, I can tell that you have some issue of your own and that does not concern me.
Stockholm syndrome much?

[PursuingProxemicExactitude]

Every culture has contributed to where humans are today. No one is less than or bad. And every child of every race has a legacy of brilliance and stands on shoulders of giants. It would be a real disgrace to have world history taught to a black child outside Africa and only tell them “oh you were slaves” they need also to know the greatness in their past.

Bears repeating ...

[bluebluezoo]

I don’t think you do need to knock other cultures down to show how great african history is.

Most of it stands on it’s own. Zulu war tactics and skill managed to defeat the british army on many occasions despite not having guns and armoury. “Horns of the bull” was simple genius.

They didn’t beat the British because the british were shit. They beat one of the best, most organised armies in history. Which shows even more the skill and intelligence of those war leaders.

You don’t need to show how great african history is by saying everyone else is shit. Tell people the stories, teach them the history, and it will become clear. And tbh teaching about other cultures, their strengths and weaknesses, will only make your point even more.

[DivineRoyalty]

It is also a parental responsibility to teach your kids about their history. I'm very happy that a lot of our people are waking up and searching for answers. It will lead to much healthier generations in the future.

[DivineRoyalty]

The reason why I am more focus on African heritage because they have contributed the most yet they have been the most degraded and disrespected people on this planet. So much focus have been put to destroy us so therefore so much focus must be put to rebuild our very well deserving royal status. Other race of people have not been discarded and berated as much as our African people have and still are. So sorry(not sorry) if I end up offending you whilst I'm busy building my house up. We have heard the greatness and heritage of every nation except of the one who have contributed the most(the motherland).

[bluebluezoo]

@PlanDeRaccordement agree that history should be widened. European history is pretty boring and very narrow - royalty and wars, with a couple of plagues thrown in.

My children were lucky enough to go to a school which was over 70% black british. Many had Ghanaian, Jamaican or other African parents and the school did an amazing job of teaching black history as best it could alongside the national curriculum. Even School dinners were reflective of the culture.

It can be done- when they had an Arab Muslim student teacher for example they took every advantage and had her teach whole school lessons in her own heritage.

It makes a huge difference in acceptance of differences when kids this age are taught about the world rather than one narrow aspect.

[PlanDeRaccordement]

@BaronessBomburst

I love history too and have been fascinated by Timbuktu since I was a child. I know nothing about the history of Africa - it isn't taught in schools and should be. Whereas I did the Industrial Revolution and the Second World War twice.

Yes. I understand European, US, all schools will naturally focus on their own nation and continent’s history for most of school child basic education and that is absolutely ok by me.

But I agree with you the curriculum needs to widen especially now we are becoming a globally diverse community. Most nations have school children for 12-13yrs of education. If there were just two years of this in secondary school in which history were a “world history” focus then they would have 6 terms to spend one on each region other than their own so : Africa(N, W, E and S), East Asia (China, Japan and India), aCentral & Minor Asia (Russia and Middle East), Australia/New Zealand, North & Central America and South America, and a term for Europe. (Each country doesn’t do the term that’s about their own continent).

And the history should focus on that region and their civilisations and accomplishments. I’d hate to see history of China start when Europeans explorers “found” us and then talk about the Opium wars. That would be Eurocentric. The history should be written for each term by historian from or who specialises in that region. So China history is China centric. The same with Africa...it should be Africa centric- include but don’t make it all about slave trades and Egyptian pharaohs, yes included them but also, talk about the great kingdoms and kings and queens. The adventurous explorers that sailed to S America. The discovery and colonising of Madagascar. The sea trade routes with India. All the civilisations and accomplishments that came out of Africa. Their astronomy was more advanced than the ancient Greeks. They invented a number system based on 20 (instead of the base 10 we use today) and that requires a lot of brain power to do math and astronomical calculations in base 20. They had advances in medicine long before the Middle East did- much of what Middle East Arabic cultures were credited with they took from African kingdoms when they conquered them. It was old story of barbarian hordes at the gates of civilisation.

Every culture has contributed to where humans are today. No one is less than or bad. And every child of every race has a legacy of brilliance and stands on shoulders of giants. It would be a real disgrace to have world history taught to a black child outside Africa and only tell them “oh you were slaves” they need also to know the greatness in their past.

[DivineRoyalty]

The thread is again attempting to derail with nonsense. We shall ignore and keep sharing knowledge.

[DivineRoyalty]

How and why did Europe twist African history

[BaronessBomburst]

I love history too and have been fascinated by Timbuktu since I was a child. I know nothing about the history of Africa - it isn't taught in schools and should be. Whereas I did the Industrial Revolution and the Second World War twice.

[Newname12]

I do notice that everything on black mumsnet goes off topic once some entitled individuals of another race cross their boundaries and think they can tell black minds how to think, what to believe and what their history is base on what their history tells them about us

You’re making quite a lot of assumptions on poster’s race here...Apart from @PlanDeRaccordement who has said her heritage is chinese how do you know about everyone else?

[Soontobe60]

@DivineRoyalty

PlanDeRaccordement
So they say.
I only accept African history from African historians.
This thread should not have turned into offended privileged individuals responding to my post. Now I understand why there are not a lot of black women in this group.

By the same premise, do you only accept European history from Europeans?